92 Volume 4: Tough Love

Ye could be seen lightly jogging towards them. His round face was slightly pale when he approached them. Mei Hua still wasn't used to seeing him looking like a human and took a moment to mentally adjust herself to the change.

"Erm, did you both… by any chance… see…" He hesitated, looking nervous.

Mei Hua's eyes narrowed. "If you're referring to Xiao Ting we did see her."

"I-is that right." He looked a little hopeful. "Just Xiao Ting?"

Her face went black, "What do you think?"

"Ah, MeiMei I was going to tell you—" Ye raised his hands to try and calm her down.

"Tell me what?! That my son grew up to be a heartless muscle-head?!"

Ye didn't at all deny her accusation but instead said, "I promise Little Wei has been treated well."

"Oh, is that right?" She rolled her eyes and spoke scathingly. "Who knew being ignored by his own Father could be counted as being treated well!"

"Even without Yan Li's acknowledgment, all us fairies treat him as family."

"Ye, how is it that Yan Li managed to do this and get away with it? Even if he was seeing a woman behind your back, once it became clear she'd had his son, how is it that they weren't married? How come the son wasn't officially acknowledged?"

"Well… but they made a vow of—"

"WHO CARES ABOUT THAT VOW?" Mei grabbed Ye by the front of his robe and shook him. "Once Yan Li touched a woman like that, he'd already broken it! At that point, why pretend?! Why make others miserable for his stupidity!?"

"I don't know, MeiMei! He insisted! It's not like I can make him acknowledge his son if he doesn't want to! I can't force him to marry if he refuses! He's rarely in the Palace to begin with, so getting him to do anything is difficult!"

Mei Hua scowled darkly but still let go of Ye.

"I'm going to beat him."

Ye straightened out the cloths Mei Hua had messed up and nodded amicably. "That's fine MeiMei, I'll hold him down and you can beat him to your heart's content if you like."

Mei Hua snorted and then asked, "You said he's usually out? Is he out now?"

"What? No, no. They wouldn't think of leaving right now. They're all here except for Shan Hui."

Mei Hua muttered for a moment before saying, "Can you have them all brought here?"

"Eh? What did the other two do?"

"Nothing… that I know of…" Mei Hua looked darkly. "And I plan to impress upon them the importance of keeping it that way."

Ye gave another nod and said, "I'll get them all then" before leaving to do just that.

When he was gone, Mei rubbed her face, feeling inexplicably tired. This wasn't how she hoped things would be when she got out of her world, woke from her coma.

"Oh," She turned to Jin. "Where is Shan Hui?"

"In Jianghu, I think."

"What? Why there of all places?"

"The people who attacked you were assassins from that place. He's chasing after them."

She was quiet for a long moment.

"…is that so?"

He couldn't read her facial expression, so he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Mei, your sons and I, we will never allow what happened to you happen again."

She glanced at him and her lips curved up slightly.

"You're not the only one."

"Pardon?"

"MeiMei, I brought them!"

Ye had interrupted their conversation, behind him the three sons. They must not have been very far away to arrive so quickly.

"Mother!" Lu Shao hurriedly ran forward and embraced her, a happy expression on his face. "If we'd known you'd finished cultivating, we'd have come sooner."

Mei Hua sighed. Who knew this kid would grow up to have women chasing after him?

With a cramped smile on her face she gave Lu Shao a polite reply and then separated from him. Her face was stiff and controlled, her posture tense. Lu Shao was puzzled by her standoffishness but Shi Ji and Yan Li were immediately alerted.

Lu Shao had been too well behaved to be on the receiving end of Mei Hua's anger and he was too young to remember when Mei Hua scolded his older brothers. But Yan Li and Shi Ji had experienced her scolding first hand, Yan Li usually getting the worst of it. The twins steps slowed, hesitant to walk into danger.

Even though it'd been almost 20 years since they'd gotten a scolding, they hadn't forgotten that stance and facial expression. They suddenly felt like children again and balked before the barely controlled righteous fury of their mother.

Ye saw them hesitating and stepped between them, firmly grabbing each by the arm and pulled.

"What's this? Didn't you miss MeiMei? Why so cautious?"

Shi Ji whispered to Ye frantically, "Why is she mad? We didn't do anything!"

"Wasn't she in a coma until just yesterday?" Yan Li added anxiously. "Even if we did something, how could she know about it so soon?"

Ye didn't respond but continued dragging them forward. The silent treatment he gave them caused the twins to break out in a cold sweat.

When all three were before her, Mei Hua took a deep breath and pointed to the ground.

"Kneel."

Yan Li and Shi Ji immediately did as they were told. They put their hands on their knees and looked down contritely. Lu Shao saw this and followed looking perplexed a few seconds later.

"Mother what's wrong?" Lu Shao asked, eyes wide and innocent. His well featured face looking up at her in confusion.

Mei Hua suddenly understood why Lu Shao was chased after. With a face like that, paired with expressions like that, she could feel her resolve buckling. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat, she firmly took control of herself.

"I'm told all of you made a vow to refrain from marrying and making a family."

"Oh yes!" Lu Shao looked enthusiastic, not realizing she was about to lecture them. "It wouldn't be right to divide our attention between a family and finding you a cure or getting justice on your behalf. It'd be unfair to our future wife and children, since we couldn't properly prioritize them."

Mei Hua nodded very slowly.

"And yet for all that…." She placed her hands behind her back. "…today I discovered I had a grandson."

"You met Wei Sheng? Isn't he adorable? He dances to my music when I… play… the…" Lu Shao finally stopped. He just then realized his Mother's expression had gotten very ugly.

Shi Ji meanwhile was casting scathing glares at Yan Li. He was definitely getting punished for something this idiot did, even though he definitely hadn't been involved this time!

"Mother…" Yan Li felt his forehead break out in a sweat. "…if you let me explain—"

"Explain?" Her voice rose. "EXPLAIN? Yes, explain to me why you made such a vow, despite your Father advising against it. He told you I wouldn't like it—"

All the sons gave Jin a look as if they'd been deeply betrayed. What he'd said could barely be counted as 'advising against'!

He didn't look them in the eye.

"—and he was right! I don't need that kind of devotion from you! What's more, if you're going to make a vow like that, at least keep it! Do you think sex is there just for enjoyment? There are responsibilities that come with it, and I thought I'd taught you that well at least!"

She pointed at the three of them. "How many of you have been sleeping around, despite making that vow? Well?!"

Obviously Yan Li was already guilty, so he could only lower his head further. Lu Shao didn't dare to say anything and also lowered his head. Even if he didn't have children, he'd definitely played around. But Shi Ji cleared his throat and raised his chin.

"I haven't."

Mei Hua eyebrows rose a little in surprise, the bitterness in his tone giving his words credibility.

"Really?"

"Mother, I would never lie about this."

In fact, how could he lie about it? He'd been heckled by the other three for years now because he'd been too focused on his research to bother with anyone. It didn't help that Shan Hui teased him too, as if he wasn't the exact same way. And the other two let him get away with it! It was entirely unfair and today he could finally get revenge.

"I see." She said in a flat tone as she stepped toward Shi Ji. With hand fisted, she brought it down on the top of Shi Ji's head. It hurt, but he could tell she didn't put much force into it. "Shame on you for making a vow like that. It's not that I don't appreciate your devotion, that you were trying to be filial. But I don't want you stunting your growth as a person and a man for me. If you want to be single, that's fine. Just don't use me as an excuse for your choices. "

"Yes, Mother." He bowed till his forehead touched the ground. "I will take your words to heart and never forget them."

She sighed, and then turned to the other two. They both flinched slightly at her approached.

"Lu Shao."

"Y-yes?"

She raised her fist and grimaced. It was good he was a grown man now, otherwise she wasn't sure she'd have the heart for this. When a Mother had a cute son, disciplining could be incredibly difficult, and that was no different for Mei Hua.

After a moment of internal struggle, she brought her fist down on his head. She hit him twice. It wasn't gentle and Lu Shao couldn't help yelping and covering his head, eyes watering.

"Even if I disapprove, you did make a vow for my sake. Yet you didn't keep it and played around as if your word means nothing. With just this, I can't begin to express how disappointed I am. But you went a step further," She lips pressed together tightly. "I heard from your Father that you're not a flirt, but you also don't turn women away when they approach you. Clearly you're letting them do more than just 'approach' you. This kind of wishy-washy attitude isn't appropriate and that you've decided to be this way distresses me. I don't mean to sound unreasonable, but I'm trying to save you from future difficulty. A simple fling today may turn into a deep unhealthy obsession tomorrow. You may treat an earnest love casually and create an enemy without realizing it. Or when real love finally comes to you, the habit of accepting anyone will blind you to it. Learn to say no, do you understand?"

Lu Shao face nodded, face pale. In truth he was already dealing with women who took his ambivalence as permission and got a bit too clingy for comfort. He was silently amazed she'd figured that out despite being in a coma for so long.

But more importantly than that, he'd disappointed her. He hadn't expected that happening right after she got out of her coma. His heart hurt terribly and the temptation to cry was strong.

Much like Shi Ji, he bowed deeply. "Mother I'm sorry that I've been foolish. I will also take your words to heart. Please don't remain angry with me, I promise I'll change. I'll properly keep my word, I'll learn to say no."

Her face softened for a moment and she bent down to pat him on the back.

"How could I stay angry with you? I know you've been raised by your Father and Ye. How could you know how to be a proper gentleman with those two as your examples?" She shook her head sighing helplessly. Jin and Ye looked wronged but knew it wasn't the time to object. "From now on, if you've any problems with women, come to me. If there are women who won't leave you alone no matter what, I will deal with them. Alright?"

"Thank you Mother!" Even though Lu Shao's head still pounded from being hit, his heart felt light. As long as she wasn't going to stay angry with him, everything was fine.

Mei Hua turned to Yan Li.

The big man felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Mother, I—"

"Haaaah, the scoundrel thinks he's got a right to talk?"

The fist that came down was full strength. It actually caused his whole body to slump toward the ground. He was stunned for a moment. He felt that hit all the way through to his spirit. In fact it almost felt more like she's struck his soul than his body. His Mother had never been that strong, and all these years he'd been training while she was in a coma he should have far surpassed her, yet that had genuinely really hurt!

"If you can't keep your pants on, then don't make a vow like that!" She hit him again, this time his whole body buckled and his face hit the ground. The cracking sound her fist made caused the other two sons to lean away. Even Jin and Ye felt their head ache in sympathy.

"Did you really think those evil rumors about us being a family of mountain bandits was true! That we beat women and have no manners?!" Jin blinked, wondering how she'd heard that. He thought Shan Hui and he had done a good job shielding her from the worst of the rumors that spread in the East.

"You think I don't know?! I know you're all like your Father," Mei Hua continued, hitting Yan Li at the end of each sentence she spoke, "that getting a woman pregnant won't be easy because you're not fully human. So it wasn't just a one time fling for you, it was again and again. AND YOU KNEW. You never intended on marrying her, accepting the child that could come from such actions as your own. This kind of malicious, cruel thinking, I didn't think I'd raised a son to be like that!"

She'd started using her legs, the heel of her bare feet raining hits down her son's body. Yan Li had put his hands over his head to protect himself, yelping at each hit. He didn't dare do anything else, knowing his Father wouldn't allow it. His only hope was to try and explain things but when he tried Mei would hit him again.

"I don't want your excuses! I don't need them! Take your hits like a man, or can't you even do that?!"

Lu Shao had huddled closer to Shi Ji, as if seeking protection from the one son who didn't get in serious trouble.

"I-is this normal?" He was whispered worriedly to his older brother. "How long can she keep this up?"

Shi Ji squinted slightly in his twin's direction and replied in a low voice, "The last time she was this angry was when Auntie Pai Zhi's son got hurt. And Yan Li was punished until nightfall."

"…but it's already nightfall…"

"Hn. Then this might last all night into the morning."

Lu Shao wanted to ask if they'd have to stay the entire time, but sensibly hesitated.

Shi Ji must have guessed, because he commented wearily. "That time, even though I hadn't been the cause, I'd stood by and watched it happen. She wasn't that rough with me, but I also wasn't allowed to leave."

The younger man gave a slow nod. So they wouldn't be allowed to leave either.

"I'd forgotten she was like this…" Shi Ji continued speaking quietly, almost muttering, "..for once I wish Shan Hui was here. He could always keep Yan Li in line… now it's going to all fall on me, ah…"

Lu Shao's eyes almost popped out hearing this. Shan Hui had only two good qualities: he was deeply loyal to their Mother and he looked like a respectable, sophisticated youth. But beyond that, he was a tyrant and had no problem bullying his younger siblings.

"Y..you don't actually mean that..?"

Shi Ji looked into Lu Shao's eyes with the utmost seriousness, "Whether I do or not, does it matter? Once Shan Hui hears Mother is awake, he'll head straight back."

Lu Shao gave a low groan, feeling a headache growing that didn't stem from where he got hit on the head.